Darker Shades of Grey
by MissPenelope
Summary: What happens when a girl, seemingly from our world, suddenly finds herself in Harry Potters world and is sorted into Slytherin? And what will she do with her knowledge? Main story characters: Snape, Daco, Fred, Hermione
1. Chapter 1: A Hogwarts Letter?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

**Summary: **What happens when a girl, seemingly from our world, somehow ends up in Harry Potter's world as an 11 year old about to start Hogwarts? What will she do with her knowledge? Goes throughout her 7 years there and goes by the books as much as possible. Except of course, when she changes things.

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* * *

**"I love you." 

"I love you too." Whispered Katherine Townsend, snuggling closer to her boyfriend. They sat in silence for what seemed like and eternity before Katherine reluctantly broke that comfort that had settled between them. There had been something on her mind all day. "I can't believe we're adults now. It seems like just yesterday I was a puny little freshman just entering high school." She said with laugh.

"Hey, you'll be a puny little freshman again in just a few more months. And at Harvard no less, your dream school."

Katherine turned to face him and said in a mock-stern voice, "I'll have you know I'm fully grown. It's not my fault if I'm small. And yes, Harvard." She said, relaxing against him once more. "Alone on the complete opposite side of the country."

"You know I'll come visit-"

"When? While you're off at war?"

"Not this again. It's all we ever talk about." He said, rolling his head back in exasperation.

"Sorry if I can't help but think that the next time I'll see you will be in a coffin!" Katherine yelled, getting up and walking away from him. Their relationship had been a bit strained ever since David's decision to join the army after graduation. Now as the time for his departure grew nearer, the tension only seemed to worsen.

"Katherine," David said, following her across the room and slipping his arms around her, "it's what I've always wanted to do. I can't give up my lifelong dream. You know I love you, I always will. It's not like I'll be on the front line or anything. It's a tech job. I promise I'll come back to you."

"I know." Katherine replied wearily. "I know it's your dream… and I won't try and stop you, but I won't pretend to be happy about it."

They stood there holding each other, once again enjoying a comfortable silence, before Katherine broke away saying, "It's getting late. I think I'll head to bed… join me?" she asked, taking his hand and leading him toward the bedroom.

Some time later found David asleep with his arms wrapped around the love of his life, and Katherine drifting off, wishing those arms holding her would never let go.

* * *

Katherine blinked from the sudden sunlight so rudely intruding upon her vision… and then she blinked again, this time from the sight before her._ What on earth? Wasn't I just in bed with David? Wasn't it the middle of the night?... oh god! I must've blacked out again!_ Katherine had long suffered from blackouts. For as long as she could remember, there were times in her life where she would be perfectly fine one moment , and the next thing she knew, it would be hours later and she wouldn't remember anything at all. Her mother had taken her to an endless array of doctors, each of which performed an endless array of tests on her, and each of which had come up without a cause or cure.

But just because she'd dealt with them before didn't mean they were nothing to worry about. She could have done anything in the time that had elapsed since her last memory. Not that she knew how long that was. Or where she was for that matter. She could be anywhere.

Katherine's brain was on overload as she took in the scene around her. Something seemed… off, and she definitely didn't recognize the place either.

She was standing in the middle of a crowded square with a large fountain in the center. It was a warm, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Quickly regaining her composure, as she had done countless times before, she walked over to a man who had just stopped at the fountain. "Excuse me sir," Katherine asked politely, "could you please tell me the date, I seem to have lost track."

"Why of course darling. It's August 28th." The man answered cheerfully in a British accent.

"Oh, right. The 28th." She replied hollowly. Looking around, she added, "I also seem to have lost my way. Where exactly am I?"

"Ah, a tourist, eh? American. Lost the tour guide I presume?" Katherine gave a tiny nod. "Yes, London can be quire daunting at first, especially for one so young. But don't you worry, you'll get used to it in a jiffy. But as to your question, you're in Charner Square. East London" he added, seeing the look of confusion cross her face.

"Right, Charner Square. Tour guide shouldn't be too far away then. I can find my way from here. Thank you."

"No problem Miss. Have a nice day." The man said, and then continued on his way.

Katherine numbly walked over to the fountain and sat down on the edge._ London? August 28__th__? Two months of my life I can't remember. I've never had a blackout last this long…And what am I doing in London? Why did I come here?_ Katherine sat pondering these questions for quite some time, only growing more confused. Then out of nowhere, a large owl flew down beside her and stuck out a leg with an envelope tied to it.

Katherine stared.

The owl hopped closer and started pecking at her hand. Realizing the owl wanted her to take the envelope; she reached out her hand and grabbed it, leaving the owl to fly off.

She stared down at the envelope, addressed:

Miss K. Townsend

Newbury Fountain

Charner Square

London

Turning the letter over, she saw a purple wax seal with a coat of arms: a snake, a badger, an eagle, and a lion, all surrounding a large letter H._ Wait, a snake, badger, eagle, and lion…surrounding an H…oh god. I'm loosing it._ Opening the envelope, Katherine took out the letter and unfolded it:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. Townsend,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. Your owl has already been received. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

_Yeah okay, I've lost it. Officially. _

Katherine sat there, staring at the letter for what seemed like hours before finally concluding that the letter at least, was a joke. A really lame one too. Did whoever do this really think she would believe it? Did they think she'd been living under a rock all these years? After all, who hadn't read the Harry Potter books?

But doubt still lingered at the back of her mind as she refolded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Setting it on the edge of the fountain beside her, Katherine noticed a black purse on the ground next to her. She didn't remember it being there when she had sat down, but then again, she had been rather preoccupied at the time. Looking around and seeing that no one was near her, she decided that whoever it belonged to would likely be long gone by now. An unusual sense of childlike curiosity overcame her and she bent down and picked up the bag._ Perhaps I'll find an ID in here and I ca turn it into the police. No doubt I'll be going there anyway since there's no chance of remembering why I'm here or where I'm staying, they'll just have to figure it out for me._ With finding an ID still on her mind, Katherine reached into the bag and pulled out an ID… HER ID! Needless to say, Katherine was more than a little freaked out. Imagining all the other things she usually kept in her purse, she frantically pulled out each item in turn. Then suddenly she stopped and realized the most obvious thing: maybe the reason the purse was filled with her things was because the purse belonged to her. Yes that was it.

But something still wasn't right. She was positive she had not had the purse with her earlier, and she had started off in another part of the square. And she KNEW she would never just leave her purse lying around. Realizing it was getting dark and the square had emptied considerably, Katherine knew she couldn't just sit on the edge of the fountain all night; she needed to find the police.

But still, something wasn't right. Maybe she should hold off going to the police for the night and just check into a hotel. Katherine was always a little wary of letting people know of her blackouts. Especially the police. What if she had done something illegal? Katherine dug through the purse once more and searched it for money. A moment later she pulled her hand out, holding a considerable wad of cash. She knew she should not have that much money and the suspicion that she may have actually done something illegal grew.

Katherine picked up the letter, put it in her purse, stood up, and walked to the street at the edge of the square. Now came the task of hailing a taxi, something in which Katherine had no prior experience in.

She stood on the side of the road and waited until she saw a taxi approach and she leaned into the road a bit and waved it over... or tried to anyway. The taxi just continued right on by. The next time a taxi drove by, she tried the same thing. And again the taxi just continued on its way. It was now fully dark and Katherine was beginning to get cold, so she tried the only other tactic she could think of – at the next sign of an approaching taxi, Katherine began jumping up and down and waving her arms around like a crazed lunatic. The taxi stopped a few feet in front of her. She ran over, opened the back door, and quickly got in, grateful for the warmth.

"Where to?" asked the cab driver.

"Umm…"_ oh shit._ Katherine had absolutely no clue where to go. _Omigod omigod. Okay, just think… think…_ "Charing Cross please." She had no idea where it had come from, but it seemed as good a place as any, and it was too late to take it back anyway.

"Alright then, Charing Cross." Replied the cab driver.

The cab ride was spent in silence as, thankfully, the cab driver did not attempt to engage Katherine in any small talk. She mostly looked out the window, taking in all the sights. She'd always wanted to go to England, but so far she wasn't really enjoying her experience. And what was she doing here this late in the summer anyway? She should be in Boston getting ready to start at Harvard. Would they still let her attend when she showed up late? She had no clue how long it would take her to get back and get everything all sorted out. But she was drawn out of her depressed musings by the driver announcing their arrival.

"That'll be 43 pounds please."

"Oh, of course. Here you are." Said Katherine, counting out her money and handing it to the cab driver.

"Thanks. Have a nice night and be safe. You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself this late. Especially in this neighborhood."

"Uh, thanks." Katherine answered confusedly._ I've never really been in a big city before. Maybe I shouldn't walk around alone in the dark. I need to find a place to stay. There must be a reason Charing Cross came to mind. Maybe my hotel is around here, _thought Katherine as the taxi pulled away. Looking around, she didn't see any buildings that looked like hotels. They all seemed to be little shops and cafés. And they all appeared to be closed… all except one, that is. Katherine could see a light on and people moving around inside. It sort of looked like a pub._ Hmm, well surely the legal drinking age here is eighteen. Hopefully. _Katherine thought, walking closer. Upon habit, she looked up at the sign hanging above the door that read "The Leaky Cauldron"

_WHAT!!?_ Katherine mentally screamed, feeling as if the whole world had just been turned upside down. _This cannot be real. Whoever is playing this joke has just gone way too far…of course, how would they set all this up? Sure, they might be able to set up the pub, but Charing Cross just came out of nowhere. They had no way of knowing that I would think of this place, and is it really worth all the effort to set all this up if I'm not even guaranteed to come here? Something isn't right…only one way to find out just_ what_ exactly isn't right though._

And with that final thought, Katherine opened the door and stepped inside. The sight that greeted her would stay with her the rest of her life. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

There were people wearing cloaks all huddled up around wooden tables, there were unusually hairy people, unusually small people( at least she thought they were people), unusually large people, and all sorts of other iffy-looking people Katherine could not distinguish beneath the hoods of their dark cloaks. On one side of the room there was a massive fireplace in which she could have sworn she just saw someone disappear into. And on the other side of the room was a bar in which there were no visible modern appliances. The whole scene looked like something out of the middle ages.

Suddenly feeling utterly exhausted, Katherine walked over to the counter. If she remembered right, and she was fairly positive she did, this place rented rooms. And joke or not, blackout and all, the only thing Katherine cared about was a nice warm bed.

Katherine ordered a room and was led upstairs by the man behind the counter who introduced himself as Tom. But of course, she already knew that. They reached the top of the stairs and continued down the hall until Tom stopped at the third door on the right and turned to face Katherine._ Gee, he's tall._ Katherine thought, looking up at him

"So you're all by yourself huh?" Tom asked.

"Yes. It's just me." Replied Katherine, stifling a yawn.

"Very well. I'll be up to check on you in the morning then."

"Um, okay."_ What was it with everyone treating her like a child today?_

"Great, goodnight." Tom said, handing the room key to her and heading down the hall.

"Goodnight." Said Katherine, opening the door and heading straight for the bed. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning Katherine awoke having to pee. Still half asleep, she trudged over to the bathroom and did her business. As she stopped to wash her hands, she glanced up at the mirror and froze.

_Oh, hell no._

**

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** Whoohoo! My first chapter of my first story. Hope you like it. I've already got a few ideas for other stories, but this is gonna be long one, so I probly wont start those yet; I want to make sure this one turns out good first. So yeah, I'll probly post chapter 2 sometime early next week. 


	2. Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Diagon Alley**

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Katherine stared disbelievingly at her eleven year old self staring back at her through the mirror. Same big black eyes and platinum blonde hair that had long since turned dark brown. She hesitantly held her hand up and waved it around. The image in the mirror waved back. 

_There is NO WAY this is happening. The Harry Potter books are FICTIONAL! MAGIC is not REAL! This place is not real…but if it's not real, then what is it? A dream? No, people don't think they're dreaming when they're dreaming and I'm definitely thinking I'm dreaming. So then am I crazy? No, crazy people don't think they're crazy. But it's still not real. I'm EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD! Not eleven._ Katherine thought frantically, trying to figure out what all this meant, how any of this was possible. Failing to come up with any reasonable explanation, a thought crept unbidden from the back of her mind,_ whether or not this is or isn't possible, I'm stuck here with no way of getting out. At least not now. I'll have to face the world eventually, so why not just play along? Surely things would be easier that way?_ Katherine did not like this thought, knew there was something terribly wrong being so willing to give in to this place. But seeing as how this was the only reasonable thought she'd had all morning, decided to go with it. For now, at least.

With that decision made, Katherine proceeded to wash her face and, not having much else to do (being without clean clothes or a toothbrush or even a hairbrush) walked back into the room and sat on the bed, pulling her purse toward her. She had pulled out several of her belongings, but she had also felt other thing in there as well.

Turning the purse upside down, she dumped the contents of it out on her bed. There were all the things she had taken out last night: lip gloss, a nail file, a big wad of cash, her drivers' license, and a pen. There was also a gold key that, upon closer inspection, was engraved. Katherine could just barely make out what it said: Townsend vault, Gringotts. So her blacked-out self had set her up a vault at Gringotts? Interesting. Seemed she'd been busy these last few months.

The other thing that hadn't previously been Katherine's was a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and was startled to see her own handwriting. And she had addressed it to herself._ Strange. I've never left myself a letter before._

To my future self,

I'm sure you're overwhelmed right now, and unsure of what is going on. If you haven't already figured it out, you're in the world of Harry Potter. And if

my calculations are correct, will be starting Hogwarts in the same year as him. I have already sent Hogwarts our response letter, knowing you wouldn't. Its

strange being eleven again, isn't it? But I had to ensure you would get your magical education. I'm sorry to tell you, though I'm sure you're probably glad,

that I will not (with any luck) be surfacing again. You are blackout free now that I have completed my mission: bringing us home. We did not belong in the

other world. I'm sorry I could not deliver you to a safer time, but this is, I hope, the year in which we are supposed to be. Someday you will find out what

all this means, but for now, take comfort in the freedom you now have, and know that I will always be with you.

Much love,

Yourself

Katherine reread the letter five times before setting it down. She did not understand it. What did it all mean – didn't belong in the other world? Where did this mission come from? No more blackouts? Was she really in the world of Harry Potter?

_She- this other part of me- said I would some day find out. Why didn't she just tell me?_

She'd never really given much thought to herself while she was blacked out. She'd never thought as to whether she was sort of in a trance-like state or if she had full conscience thought that she couldn't remember. Apparently it was the latter. But if she was thinking clearly, it should've been just the same her, shouldn't it? But the her that had written the letter apparently knew things she didn't. Unless she had learned those things in the short two months she couldn't remember. But she was in another world apparently; how did she know it had only been two months? Which brought up another question: how did she get to this world anyway? As far as she knew, world hopping wasn't possible, and there was only one world anyway.

Deep in thought, Katherine jumped about a foot in the air when she heard a knock at the door. Who would be coming to see her? She didn't even know anyone here. The only people she'd met had been that man at the fountain, the cab driver, and Tom… Tom! It must be him. He said last night he would come and check on her in the morning, and Katherine had thought that strange. But now she knew why: eleven year olds don't usually travel on their own. Putting her musings aside, she strode over to the door and opened it with a smile. "Good morning, Tom." She greeted.

"Good morning to you too. Are you doing all right?" the kindly bartender asked.

"Yes. I'm doing wonderfully. Actually, it's such a beautiful morning out, I was hoping to go into Diagon Alley and do a bit of school shopping. I was wondering if you could show me the entrance?" Katherine asked. If this place really is real, then she would be leaving for Hogwarts in just two days and needed to get her supplies and maybe a few personal items as well.

"Of course. The entrance is just out back. Would you like to go now?"

Now was a bit sooner that expected, but she had a lot to do and shopping was much better than sitting in a room all day with a head full of questions and no answers. Besides, what better way to find out what was going on?

"Now would be fine." Katherine answered, going over to her purse and shoving everything back inside.

She followed Tom back downstairs and across the main room she had entered the night before. There were considerably less people downstairs than there had been the night before. Just a few solitary people at tables eating breakfast.

They had crossed the room and now Tom was leading them to a small, walled courtyard out back. This was it. Beyond that wall lay all the confirmation Katherine needed that this was not a dream after all, but reality.

Katherine watched as Tom began tapping a sequence of bricks along the wall, trying to commit the pattern to memory. If Diagon Alley really was on the other side of that wall, she would definitely be coming back again.

Tom finished tapping the bricks and stood back as they began to wriggle and a small hole appeared, growing wider and wider, until it formed an archway large enough for even the largest man to get through with room to spare.

Katherine let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. It was real. Her initial sight of the leaky cauldron paled in comparison to this. There were people everywhere. Men and women dressed in the most amazing robes and pointy hats. A child, zooming around on a toy broomstick. A stack of cauldrons sitting outside a nearby shop. It was the strangest and most beautiful thing Katherine had ever seen. She suddenly found herself glad this was all real.

"Thank you." She told the bartender, as if he had just made all her dreams come true.

If Tom had noticed the emotion her voice conveyed, he did not show it. Instead he turned around and walked back inside, saying something about having work to do.

Wanting to see more of this new and wonderful world, Katherine crossed the threshold into Diagon Alley._ Wow, _Katherine thought, walking through the alley,_ I could spend days in here._ And although the wonder did not wear off, the rational side of her decided to make itself known. Katherine could not buy all these things until she had got some wizarding money. She had to go to Gringotts first and hope there was enough money in the vault to which she had the key, for her to buy her school supplies. If not, she didn't know what to do.

Katherine was so busy taking in all he sights that she didn't even notice she had come to the end of the alley until she actually tripped on the steps leading up to Gringotts. Feeling like a fool and hoping no one had seen, she picked herself up and proceeded up the steps to the most magnificent building she had ever laid eyes on.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Katherine was bowed inside by a goblin wearing a red and gold uniform. It was all Katherine could do not to stop and stare. He was quite a bit shorter than her with a pointed beard and extremely long fingers and feet.

Continuing through, Katherine was met with another set of doors, these ones were engraved. But she didn't read them. She knew the gist of it: don't rob the place.

Once inside, she stopped for a moment to take it all in- the place was enormous. Then she made her way over to the counter, eager to go explore the shops outside.

"Good morning." Katherine said to the goblin behind the counter. "I'd like to take some money out of my vault."

"Your name?" the goblin asked, not even looking up from his work.

Katherine remembered something about it not being wise to attempt to fool a goblin, so she decided to tell the truth. After all, it was her name on the key. "Katherine Townsend." she informed him.

The goblin froze from what he was doing and looked up, regarding her with suspicion for a moment before asking, "And do you have your key, Miss Townsend?"

"Yes. I've got it right here." she replied, fumbling through her purse and producing her vault key for him to see.

The goblin leaned forward and expected it closely. "Very well." He said, then turned to call over another goblin from across the room. "Maklar! Take Miss Townsend here down to her vault."

"Townsend?" Maklar asked, widening his eyes in surprise. "Yes, of course. Miss Townsend, please follow me."

Katherine did as she was asked and followed Maklar into a narrow stone passageway. The goblin summoned a cart over and they climbed in. She didn't even try to keep track of all the twists and turns, knowing it would be impossible anyway. The ride seemed to take hours. They had gone deeper than Katherine ever imagined possible.

_Strange. I'm sure my vault is a new one. It didn't sound like I'd been here too long in the letter. You'd think it would be closer to the top._

Finally, when they were so far down that Katherine was sure they would reach the center of the earth any minute, the cart came to a stop and the goblin climbed out.

"Key, please." Requested Maklar once Katherine had joined him beside the door. Katherine handed him the key.

Maklar opened the door and Katherine gasped. Inside the vault were mounds upon mounds of gold and other treasures. Katherine should have been exited by all that was before her. But instead that suspicion that she had done something she shouldn't have came back full force. Deciding it was best not to draw attention to her surprise, she acted completely indifferent and instead of stopping and looking through everything, strode over and picked up a few large handfuls of old, dumping them into her purse. She would need a lot of money. Shopping had always been her stress reliever, and she was definitely stressed.

The ride back up took just as long as the ride down and was doubly miserable. Katherine had nothing to do but sit and ponder how she could have accumulated so much money. She couldn't help but wonder if there would be someone waiting at the top to arrest her. For what, she did not know.

Which was why Katherine was so extremely glad when they reached the top, that she had not been jumped by a hostile gang of Aurors. The goblin simply bid her farewell and left without another word. She caught a glimpse of the goblin she had originally talked to staring intently at her over a stack of papers. But when she looked back, he appeared to be as absorbed in his work as when she had first arrived.

Once back out in the late morning sun, Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out her Hogwarts envelope. Skipping over the acceptance letter, Katherine went to the second piece of parchment- her supply list. There were her uniform requirements, a list of books, and… a wand. That was definitely where Katherine was headed first. She didn't even read the rest of the list before heading off to Ollivanders. She found it quickly; it was just a few shops away from Gringotts.

She stepped inside the tiny old shop and was immediately struck by what could only be described as magic, in the very air of the place.

"Good morning, Miss Townsend. I thought I'd be seeing you soon." Katherine started and turned toward the sound of the voice.

Mr. Ollivander was an old man with large, pale eyes that stood out in the dark lighting of the shop.

"How did you know my name? Have you seen me before?" Katherine asked, taking a step closer.

But Mr. Ollivander ignored her questions and turned to all the boxes stacked behind the counter. "I expect you'll be anxious to get your wand. Never met a first year who wasn't." he said, turning back around and setting a box down on the counter. "Maple and unicorn hair. Eleven inches."

Deciding to overlook his blatant attempt at avoiding her question, in favor of getting her wand,Katherine took it, but no sooner had it left his hand, than Mr. Ollivander snatched it right back. "No, that's not it at all. Take this one. Mahogany and phoenix feather. Ten inches."

Katherine took the wand and held it for barely a second when Mr. Ollivander took it right back. "Closer…" he muttered, going through boxes behind the counter. "Aha. This has got to be it. Oak and dragon heartstring. Thirteen and a half inches. He announced, coming back to the front of the shop. "Go on, give it a wave."

Katherine took the wand and made a figure eight in the air, leaving behind a trail of purple and white sparks. "Excellent! Excellent!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "I've had that wand for as long as I can remember. Thought I'd never sell it."

Katherine paid for her wand and exited the shop. Now for the rest of her shopping.

She spent the whole rest of the day buying her school supplies and everything else that caught her attention. She went into the owl emporium and bought a large black owl. She named him Dr. Cox, after her favorite doctor on Scrubs. She spent a good three hours in Madame Malkins. Since she literally had nothing but the clothes on her back, she bought all kinds of everyday robes and some nicer ones, and some nightgowns too. Her favorite was a set of pale gold robes with diamond embroidery. Katherine splurged… big time.

However, by the end of the night, her only worry was whether or not she could fit everything into her trunk.

**

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A/N: **Alright, I updated a little sooner than I expected, but that can only be a good thing right? I know nothing much happened in this chapter, but next one will be the Hogwarts Express ride where she'll meet the trio… both of them actually. And maybe even get sorted as well. 


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